Diabetes Fact Sheets in Korea, 2020: An Appraisal of Current Status.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to investigate the recent prevalence, management, and comorbidities of diabetes among Korean adults aged ≥30 years by analyzing nationally representative data. METHODS: This study used data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2016 to 2018, and the percentage and total number of people ≥30 years of age with diabetes and impaired fasting glucose (IFG) were estimated. RESULTS: In 2018, 13.8% of Korean adults aged ≥30 years had diabetes, and adults aged ≥65 years showed a prevalence rate of 28%. The prevalence of IFG was 26.9% in adults aged ≥30 years. From 2016 to 2018, 35% of the subjects with diabetes were not aware of their condition. Regarding comorbidities, 53.2% and 61.3% were obese and hypertensive, respectively, and 72% had hypercholesterolemia as defined by low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) ≥100 mg/dL in people with diabetes. Of the subjects with diabetes, 43.7% had both hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. With regard to glycemic control, only 28.3% reached the target level of <6.5%. Moreover, only 11.5% of subjects with diabetes met all three targets of glycosylated hemoglobin, blood pressure, and LDL-C. The percentage of energy intake from carbohydrates was higher in diabetes patients than in those without diabetes, while that from protein and fat was lower in subjects with diabetes. CONCLUSION: The high prevalence and low control rate of diabetes and its comorbidities in Korean adults were confirmed. More stringent efforts are needed to improve the comprehensive management of diabetes to reduce diabetes-related morbidity and mortality.

Short-term Comparison of Supervised Rehabilitation and Home-based Rehabilitation for Earlier Recovery of Shoulder Motion, Pain, and Function after Rotator Cuff Repair.

BACKGROUND: This study was undertaken to compare the outcome of supervised and home exercises with respect to range of motion (ROM), pain, and Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE). We further correlated the ROM recovery and pain reduction as well. METHODS: The study included 49 patients who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Rehabilitation was initiated after 4 weeks of immobilization. A total of 29 patients performed supervised exercise 3 times a week. Standardized education and brochures for review were provided to the remaining 20 patients who insisted on home rehabilitation. Statistical analysis was performed for comparing pain Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), SANE, and ROM. In addition, we also evaluated the correlation between pain and ROM. RESULTS: Comparison of the two groups revealed no significant differences in forward flexion, internal rotation, abduction, and pain NRS. However, SANE at the 9th week (63.8 vs. 55.0, p=0.038) and improvement of external rotation from the 5th to the 9th week (17.6 vs. 9.3, p=0.018) were significantly higher in the supervised exercise group as compared to the home exercise group. Correlation of pain NRS with forward flexion, external rotation, internal rotation and abduction were statistically not significant (correlation coefficient=0.032 [p=0.828], -0.255 [p=0.077], 0.068 [p=0.642], and -0.188 [p=0.196], respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The supervised rehabilitation after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair showed better improvement in external rotation and higher SANE score after 4 weeks of rehabilitation exercise. However, no statistically significant correlation was observed between the recovery of ROM and short-term pain relief.

Evaluation of the VIDAS glutamate dehydrogenase assay for the detection of Clostridium difficile.

We evaluated the performance of the VIDAS GDH assay for the detection of Clostridium difficile. In total, 350 fecal specimens collected from patients clinically suspected of having CDI were analyzed by C. difficile culture and enzyme-linked fluorescent immunoassay (VIDAS GDH); the results were compared with those of toxigenic C. difficile culture (TC), PCR (Xpert C. difficile assay), and toxin AB EIA (VIDAS CDAB). The numbers of culture-positive and culture-negative samples were 108 and 242, respectively. The concordance between the GDH assay and C. difficile culture was 90.3%. With PCR, 12 more samples were found to be positive in GDH-positive/C. difficile culture-negative specimens. Thus, the concordance between GDH assay and C. difficile culture/PCR was 93.7%. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the VIDAS GDH assay were 97.2%, 87.2%, 77.2%, and 98.6%, respectively, based on the C. difficile culture, and 97.5%, 91.7%, 86.0%, and 98.6%, respectively, based on C. difficile culture/PCR. Positivity rates of the GDH assay were partially associated with those of semi-quantitative C. difficile cultures, which were maximized in grade 3 (>100 colony-forming unit [CFU]) compared with grade 1 (<10 CFU). We evaluated the two-step or three-step algorithm using GDH assay as a first step. No toxin EIA-positive case was found among GDH-negative samples, and 60.8% (48/79) were TC- and/or PCR-positive among the GDH-positive/toxin EIA-negative samples. Thus, approximately 25% of the 350 samples required a confirmatory test (TC or PCR) in the GDH-toxin EIA algorithm, whereas only 2.3% of the total samples in GDH-PCR algorithm was discrepant and required another confirmatory test like TC.

Comparison of balance ability between patients with type 2 diabetes and with and without peripheral neuropathy.

OBJECTIVES: (1) To examine the effects of peripheral neuropathy on balance stability in patients with type 2 diabetes, and (2) to assess static and dynamic balance and functional limitations. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study. SETTING: Outpatient clinic. PATIENTS: Subjects with type 2 diabetes and healthy subjects (n = 60) were divided into 3 groups: subjects with diabetes and with established peripheral neuropathy (diabetic peripheral neuropathy [DPN] group) (n = 17), subjects with diabetes and without peripheral neuropathy (diabetic control group) (n = 25), and subjects without diabetes (nondiabetic control [NDC] group) (n = 18). METHODS: Sensory impairment assessment, motor impairment assessment, and functional limitation assessment were assessed by using the Balance Master system. RESULTS: In motor impairment assessment, left-to-right directional control in the rhythmic weight shift was significantly poorer in the diabetic control group than in the NDC group during slow movement (P = .027). During fast movement, it was poorer in the DPN group than in the NDC group (P = .022). In the unilateral stance test of functional limitation assessment with both eyes open, the mean center of gravity sway velocity was significantly higher in the DPN group than in the NDC group (P = .011 for the left leg standing, P = .008 for the right leg standing) and higher in the DPN group than in the diabetic control group (P = .027 for the right leg standing). In the tandem walk test, walking speed was significantly lower in the DPN group than in the NDC group (P = .033), and end sway was significantly greater in the DPN group than in the NDC group (P = .020). CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of the results of this study suggest that functional limitations may occur more in the patients with diabetes and with peripheral neuropathy, and dynamic balance stability may decrease more with the patients with diabetes than with the subjects without diabetes. Further studies on balance rehabilitation that concern dynamic balance stabilities and exercise abilities are needed in patients with diabetes.

A new fluoride selective fluorescent as well as chromogenic chemosensor containing a naphthalene urea derivative.

A new naphthalene derivative containing a urea group at the 1,8-position of naphthalene was synthesized and showed a unique absorption and fluorescence peak with a fluoride ion. Calculations suggested that a new peak was attributed to the increased anion character of urea nitrogen due to the strong interaction of the fluoride and N-H protons.